Balak, the King of Moab, commissions Balaam, a non-Jewish prophet, to curse the Jews. He sent messengers to Balaam and offered to give Balaam great riches to accomplish this task. Balaam received the messengers, however in the night God appeared to Balaam and told him he should...

This portion is very different as it deals with many areas of death. It begins with the red heifer in Chapter 19 and Gods statute for purification from contact with a dead body. Great details are given and this will be a perpetual ordinance. In Chapter 20 we read of the death...

In this portion we find Korah, a cousin of Moses, leading a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. He claims Moses has set himself and his brother Aaron above all the Israelites as leaders and Korah challenges this leadership decision. Not only does Korah challenge Moses and Aaron,...

Shelach Lecha “Send…” Numbers 13:1 -15:41 10 January 2025 Commentary: The Lord  tells Moses to send men to search out the land of Canaan.  Moses sends one man from each of the twelve tribes as spies.  He instructs them to bring back a report on what they see and find there,...

The Lord continues to speak to Moses concerning the tabernacle and how everything is to be done. He tells Moses to speak to Aaron about lighting the Menorah. He speaks to Moses concerning the purification of the Levites who will be separated and serve in the tabernacle. Moses...

This week’s portion is very significant, and at some points, controversial. The Lord is again speaking to Moses and giving laws that the Levites must follow. He speaks particularly regarding the Gershonite, Merarite and Kohathite families and how they are to serve in the...

This week we enter into the Book of Numbers, a book that begins and ends with a “census” of the Israelites. God commands Moses to take a count, by Tribe, of all the men who are 20 years of age and older, with the exception of the Tribe of Levi, who would serve the Mishkan...

The word BEHAR means “on the mount”, the first words of Leviticus 25:1. The word BEHUKOTAI means “in my statutes” from Leviticus 26:3.   God continues to speak with Moses on Mt. Sinai, and in this portion, He speaks to him about the “Sabbatical Year”, or 7th Year.  Just as God...

The word EMOR means “Speak” and in this portion we read of the Lord speaking to Moses and telling Moses to SPEAK to the priests, the Kohanim, regarding how they are to serve in the temple. They are admonished on how they are to live and keep their purity in all things. The list...

Each week, in synagogues all over our wonderful world, a “PARASHAH”, or “Portion”, is read from the Torah. In Hebrew, the word PARASHAH actually means “exact statement”; however, it has come to mean “section" or “portion” in our modern day language. Traditionally, the TORAH...

This Torah reading begins with Jacob sending messengers to his brother Esau. He sent them to tell him that he has oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. He is troubled and greatly frightened when he learns Esau is coming to meet him with four hundred men. His...

This Torah Portion takes place when Jacob lived in the Land of Canaan and records the generations of Jacob. It starts when Joseph is 17 years of age. In this week's Torah reading, we meet Joseph as a dreamer and an interpreter of dreams. Was Joseph a prophet? The answer is...